Checking In on the Clutch Stats

Posted by Rob Mahoney on April 8, 2009 under Commentary, xOther |

From time to time, I like to check on my bud, my bro, 82games.com’s clutch statistics.  It’s a periodic process that happens whenever somebody else links to them and I’m reminded that they exist, and I’ve got a strange feeling they’re going to be useful for tonight’s game against Utah.

For reference, 82games defines “clutch” as: “4th quarter or overtime, less than 5 minutes left, neither team ahead by more than 5 points.”

• Dirk ranks 8th in points scored per 48 minutes of clutch time, with 40.8 pts/48min.  Jason Terry comes in at 18th with 34.3 pts/48min.  Terry is the highest second fiddle on the list (meaning the first occurence of a team’s second highest player in this particular measure).
• Strangely enough, J.J. Barea actually leads the team in assists per 48 minutes, though his sample size is still awfully small lined up against his contemporaries.  Barea is 10th on the list with 8.4, while Kidd is 16th with 7.5.
• Barea is also tied for 5th in terms of clutch three point percentage, although it’s worth noting that the four coming in above him have low enough attempts to almost disregard them entirely.  Barea’s 5.0 attempts per 48 minutes isn’t much next to the league leaders in clutch attempts, but it surely dwarfs Luol Deng (0.6), Tyrus Thomas (0.5), Yao Ming (0.4), and Grant Hill (0.5).
• Kidd is tied for 1st in clutch steals, matching Chris Paul’s 4.8 steals/48.

It’s tough to play the three-guard lineup during game-changing possessions, but J.J.’s been quite the valuable waterbug.